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T. PETERSON. GYMNASTIG APPARATUS.

No. 451,411. Patented Apr. 28, 1891.

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GYMNASTIG APPARATUS.

- No; 451,411. Patented Apr. 28,1891.l

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Patented Apr. 28, 1891.

ATTORNEY Nrrnn STATES P AfrnNr` Fries.

THEODORE PETERSON, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE IIOVARD MANUFACTURINGCOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

GYMNASTIC APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,41 1, dated April28,1891.

Application filed February 13, 1891. Serial No. 381,296. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Trrnononn PETERSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus forVerticallyAdjusting and Supporting Gymnastic Ladders, of which the following is aspecication.

My invention has relation to improvements in that class of mechanicaldevices by which the sloping or horizontal ladders used in gymnasticexercises are raised or lowered to any desired elevation or angle andretained until a different position is required.

The objects of my invention are to provide new and improved devices forraising, retaining, and lowering the ends of said ladders; and to theaforesaid objects my invention consists of the peculiar construction,arrangement, and combination of parts, hereinafter described, and thenspecifically pointed out in the claims, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of one formof my invention; Fig. 2, an enlarged central vertical section of a partof Fig. l; Figs. 3,4, and perspective views on the scale of Fig. l ofmodifications of the same; Fig. o, a central vertical section on thescale of Fig. 2 of a part of Fig. 4c; and Figs. 7 and 8, a perspectiveview and central vertical section on a different scale of a furthermodification of my invention.

In the different views there are certain* general features common to alland peculiar to my invention, and where these occur in the differentmodifications they are marked with the same letters of reference, butwith progressive exponent marks for each successivemodification,respectively,theadditional parts being marked with separatereference-letters, and hereinafter fully described and pointed out.

Proceeding to describe my invention, and referring to the form shown inFigs. 1 and 2, A A are two hollow metallic posts, as twoinch gas-pipe,fastened by means of flanges a a, parallel with each other andperpendicularly to the floor and ceiling, or other upper to its pivot,and arranged, when the outer end of the link is depressed, to engage thepost and retain the sleeve, and when the outer end is rocked upwardA torelease the sleeve and permit its movement along the post. The outer endof each link O is pivotally attached to the end of one of the side railsof the ladder D by a pivot or rod d. Near the upper end of each post Ais an opening, in which is journaled a small grooved pulley e, overwhich runs a cord E, the outerend of which is attached to the inner endof the link O, the other end being attached toa weight F inside of thepost. By this arrangement the weight of the ladder is constantlycounterbalanced, thereby enabling it to be raisedwith little power.

Attached to the pivot-bar d is a cord G, which passes over an overheadpulley g, its other end being attached to the pivot b, that unites thelinks and sleeves to serve as a downhaul. By drawing the cord over thepulley g the end of the ladder is sufficiently raised to rock the outerends of the links up and release the sleeves, which can be raised bycontinuing the draft or lowered by maintaining sufficient draft to keepthem released, and drawing down 011 the part of the cord below the pivotb. NVhen the desired elevation in either direction is reached, the endof the ladder is permitted to fall, thereby locking the sleeves againstthe posts.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3 the weight-cord pulleys c e in theupper part of the posts A A face each other, and the cords E E',attached to the weights F F, running over them pass in oppositedirections over a double overhung intermediate pulley 1 to one end of alever H', hinged on the pivots b d. This lever extends in each directionbeyond these pivots, and to its opposite end is attached the cord G',which, passing over the overhung pulley g is attached to the lsame endof the lever H. as the cords E E',

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to serve as a downhaul. The operation et this arri'tngement is the samewith that shown in Fig. l, the weights F F serving through the cords EE' to counterbalance the ladder and the cord G to raise it, the officeot' the pivoted lever ll being to give these parts an additionalpurchase in their operation, or, in other words, to enable them toperform their respective functions with less power.

Figs. t and l5 present the same general construction shown in Figs. land 2, except that the eounterbalanee weights, cords, and pulleys areomitted, and that to each sleeve B is attached a spring J, whichconstantly bears on the post A, and operates to throw down the end ofthe ladder Dl and lock the links C3 when the cord is released. This formis particularly adapted to light ladders where the weight is not sogreat as to require a counter-weight to assist in raising it. rlhespring J can be applied to any of the other forms of construction shownand described in thisspeciiicatiombutit hasnot been deemed necessary toshow it in connection with the others, as its application thereto willbe obvious.

In Fig. 5 is illustrated another slight modification of my invention,which is similar to the construction shown in Fig. t, except that thesprings Ji' shown in that construction are omitted and the lever H5 isemployed. In this case, however, the cord G5, attached to the end et thelever Il, passing over the pulley y, hangs loose, and the cord E,passing over pulley Il, has both ends attached to the opposite end otsaid lever, the one to assist with the cords G5 in raising the sleevesand the other to serve as a downhaul.

In operation the cord G is used, as in the other forms, to first raisethe end ot' the ladder D5 sufieientl y to rock and release the linksCl", when, if it is desired to raise the sleeves D, the cords G5 and Eare drawn in unison until the desired elevation is reached. The reverseoperation will be readily understood from the description of the otherterms hereinbefore described.

Figs. 7 and S illustrate the application oi' my invention when a singlepost is used to support theladders. In this modification the post A,sleeve B, link C, cords E G, pulleys e. y, and weight Fare substantiallythe same as the same relative parts in Figs. land 2; but in ordel' toinsure stability of the sup port and prevent lateral sway of the ladder,the ends of the pivot d are bent downward from each side et' the link Cat or near a right angle with each other, where they are united with theends of the rails D" ot' the ladder, across which is a rod K", whichconstitutes a pivot for them, and which is rigidly connected with a ring7c loosely mounted on said post. Frein the points el union of the endsof the bent pivotal bar t and the rod K are two rods L L, which extendinward and unite with a ring l, also loosely mounted on said post. 'lhereds Il L maybe andare preferably integral with the vpivotal bar d". Theoperation ot this modification will be readily understood from thedescription ot the operation et the other forms herembefore detailed;but, in addition to the advantages of those forms, the ladder can beswung around the post, so as to stand radially from it at differentangles.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Iletters Patent, is

1l. An apparatus for vertically adjusting and supporting gymnasticladders, consisting of a vertical post, a sleeve arranged to slidethereon, and clutch mechanism connected with the sleeve and ladder andarranged to engage the post by the weight ot' the ladder, substantiallyas shown and described.

An apparatus tor vertically adjusting and supporting gymnasticladders,"consisting ot a vertical hollow post, a sleeve arranged toslide thereon, clutch mechanism connected with the sleeve and ladder andarranged to engage the post by the weight of the ladder, and acounter-weight disposed within the post and connected with the ladder bya cord and pulley, substantially as shown and described.

3. In an apparatus forvertieally adjusting and supporting gymnasticladders, the combination of a vertical post, a sleeve arranged to slidethereon, a link journaled in said sleeve, having an eccentric endarranged to engage said post when its outer end is depressed, and havingits outer end pivotally connected with the ladder, and means, as a cord,for simultaneously raising the ends of said ladder and lilik,substantially as shown and described.

at. In an apparatus for vertically adjusting and supporting gymnasticladders, the combination, with parallel posts and sleeves mounted andarranged to slide thereon, with links pivota-lly mounted therein andarranged to clamp said posts as theirouter ends are depressed, andhaving their outer ends pi votally connected with the ladder, of springsattached to said links, arranged to press against said posts andconstantly depress the outer ends of said links, substantially as shownand described, and for the purpose specied.

5. In an apparatus for vertically adjusting and supporting gymnasticladders, the combination, with parallel posts and sleeves mounted andarranged to slide thereon, with links pivotally mounted therein andarranged to clamp said posts as their outer ends are depressed, andhaving their outer ends pivotally connected with the ladder, 0f means,as a cord, for simultaneously raising the pivoted end of the ladder andlinks and similar means for lowering said sleeves when the ends of theladder and links are raised, substantiall y as shown and described.

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6. In an apparatus for vertically adjusting and supporting gymnastieladders, the @01nbination, with parallel posts and sleeves mounted andarranged to slide thereon,\vith 5 links pivotally mounted therein andarranged to clamp said posts as lheir outer ends are depressed, andhaving their outer ends pivotally connected With the ladder, of a lever,as H, mounted on the pivots of said links 1o and having` at one end acord for raising the outer ends of said links and at the other a oordfor lowering the same, substantially as shown and described'.

In testimony jhat I claim the above I hereunto set my hand.

THEODORE PETERSON.

In presence of- C. E. HUMPHREY,' C. P. I-IUMPHREY.

